When They Played: Hall boys basketball coach Mike Filippini

Hall boys basketball and softball coach Mike Filippini was a three-sport athlete for the Red Devils.

He played football, basketball and baseball all four years before graduating from Hall in 1990.

But he doesn’t tell his athletes much about his career.

“(I don’t talk about it) too much because the one time I told them, all they did was make fun of me because ‘our football pads were too big and our basketball shorts were too small’,” Filippini joked.

However, his experience as a Red Devil influenced his decision to become a teacher and coach.

Filippini was a running back and defensive back for the Hall football team. He was a member of the Red Devils’ first ever playoff team when Hall went 8-3 in 1987 in Gary Vicini’s fourth season.

Filippini also played on the 1988 and 1989 squads that each went 8-3 and reached the second round of the postseason.

He also played third base, shortstop and outfield under Vicini on the baseball team as the Red Devils won back-to-back regional championships his junior and senior seasons.

In basketball, Filippini was a guard for long-time Hall coach Eric Bryant.

Filippini coached the girls basketball team at Hall from 2001-05 before taking over the boys program in 2005-06. He’s also served as an assistant football coach and is awaiting his first season as head softball coach after being an assistant in the program.

“Gary Vicini, Eric Bryant, Ted Deserf and Lou Zecca were some of the best coaches I ever had and worked with,” Filippini said. “They are the reason I wanted to become a teacher and a coach.

“They were passionate about their sports and coaching. They wanted to succeed and have kids learn something along the way, not just about the game, but about life in general. They taught life lessons like being on time, being responsible and being respectful. If you didn’t follow their rules, you knew you were in big trouble. They were mean when they had to be, but now I know why they were the way they were. I’ve coached for almost 25 years in high school and they don’t make coaches now like those guys anymore.”

Although Filippini doesn’t share many stories about his high school career with his current players, he still draws from his experience.

“I have always threatened to have a practice after a game when we have played badly because after we got killed by Mendota my junior year, coach Bryant made us practice after the game as soon as we got off the bus … in a snowstorm,” Filippini joked.

After graduating from Hall, Filippini went to Illinois State University where he got a jump on his coaching career by serving as the Redbirds manager from 1993-95.

Filippini was a team manager when ISU reached the second round of the NIT in 1995 under Kevin Stallings.

“Assistant coach Tom Richardson was in charge of the managers,” Filippini said. “He showed me how to break down game film, how and what to scout when watching film or live games and showed me how to make a practice plan. He was great to work with.

“I still use everything he taught me when I scout games, watch film and plan my practices. I learned a ton from coach Richardson.”